Le Saint Paul

TripAdvisor rating

Le Saint Paul

Le Saint Paul has original Chagalls adorning its silk walls, antiques and objets d’art galore, and dazzling Côte d’Azur views from its hilltop ramparts. Rooms are light and airy and the restaurant is ravishing, with two romantic dining rooms and a flower-packed terrace overlooking the maze of cobbled streets and alleyways.

Highlights:

A prestigious position within the walled town

Art galleries, antique shops and vistas aplenty to paint

Cannes, Nice, Grasse and Antibes within easy reach

Smith extra

Two tickets for the Maeght Fondation, a famous modern art museum in Saint Paul de Vence

In the know

Also need to know:

Petite pooches can come too, for €50 a night. Smokers should request a smoking room, but remember not to light up in communal areas.Help yourself to home-made biscuits and cakes, such as delicate apple tarts, in the lounge. Team with tea or coffee, or take a tot from the decanters of whisky or brandy.

Packing tips:

Pared down elegance for the restaurant; cobble-friendly shoes; a sketch pad and water colours for aspiring artists.

Dress code:

The Côte d'Azur calls for elegant attire: cashmere in the evening, a tailored shirt or tea-frock in the day.

Mr and Mrs Smith reviews

‘Welcome to Le Saint Paul! Would you care for some home-made peach iced tea and cakes?’ Could our arrival at out South of France hideaway be more delightful? We'd been greeted not just by a warmth in the air, but we were also met from our air-conditioned Mercedes taxi by an exceptionally smart bellman with an outstretched umbrella. This has all certainly taken a dampener off the fact it isn’t the sunny weather we’d been expecting. The doorman even greeted us by name as though distant relatives before navigating us through the cobbled gallery-sprinkled backstreets to our final destination, this very special Baglioni-owned hotel.

‘I thought you said the weather will be lovely?’ my better half adds smugly. Saint-Paul de Vence, is a mere 16km from Nice, nestled in the hilltops of the Côte de Azur, so the usual vista south is to the Mediterranean Sea, and if you squint north you should see the snow-capped Alps. Hampered by slight drizzle today our view outside is restricted to the old-world fortifications that border this charming, petite French village. Mrs Smith is inside anyway, having regressed by now into a child-like state, as though in Hamley’s toy store, fascinated by the hotel's paintings and curios.

Ushered gently to the living room, we await teatime snacks, which are being hastily prepared with the same kindness a mother shares with her family after a long and tiring journey. Kicking back on a pristine, vintage couch, we take in the grand splendour of the open fireplace, feeing right at home. Mrs Smith is just suggesting it’s like being at our own wedding reception, when the hotel manager disturbs our daydream to ask whether we’re ready to go to our room.

Grabbing an extra cake on the way to the lift, we get into what must surely be the nicest-smelling elevator in the world – floral grapefruit notes emanate from its embroidered walls. ‘It’s like being Alice in Wonderland,’ trills Mrs Smith. Moments later the doors to our room swing open to reveal a grandiose dwelling, fit for royalty. ‘We must have the best room in the house,’ I exclaim. Except it’s not really a mere house, it’s a historic chateaux conversion.

What Le Saint Paul is exceedingly good at (as well as cakes that give Mr Kipling a run for his money), is combining fresh modernity with traditional provincial chic. Our bathroom is luxury-showroom-worthy, while the actual suite feels like we’ve inherited Charles de Gaulle’s parliamentary quarters. Through the windows, slate rooftops are like a sea of abstract art. It’s all as though time has stood still – although as we’re soon to find out, the boutiques and touristy stampede outside tell a different story. A rat-a-tat-tat at the door, and lo and behold the bellman is bringing us up yet another welcome treat. Seldom is anyone so spoilt in such a short space of time. Even at a luxury hotel.

Postcard-perfect Saint-Paul de Vence has a population of only 3,500, yet it attracts over 2.5 million visitors a year. Celebrated for its contemporary art, as well as the rich and famous who come here to buy it, we concede that if price tags aren’t visible on the painting we’re ogling, it is probably out of our budget. Judging by the designer handbags on display in this hilltop town, its arts is beloved by a demographic akin to that seen in South Molton Street. Chihuahuas with outfits matching their owners confirms this.

Not that this makes a dent in our appreciation of this ancient town as we window-shop our way through its labyrinthine alleys. Our enthusiastic stroll soon earns us a rest on the terrace at well-known hangout, Le Tilleul – the lime tree – where we people-watch over some refreshing Clairette de Vence. Conveniently, everything in Saint-Paul de Vence is within a stroll of our stylish stay poised in the village’s main cobbled artery.

Chef Nunzio Romano oversees the fabulous fare at Les Saint Paul, a culinary whiz, and it is advisable you book supper at the same time as you do your hotel room. Understandably, it is fully reserved in advance. On a summers’ day, the award-winning restaurant spills out into a beautiful walled garden. This leafy terrace would be a highlight if it weren’t that the food, wine and service at Le Saint Paul is also exceptional. The restaurant's interior too is special, with crypt-like stone walls and a fully functioning fountain all within the fortress walls. It makes sense that the restaurant demands you don smart attire.

An aperitif of pink champagne in hand, we order the chef’s thee-course special from a menu that promises thrills such as risotto with lobster and courgette flowers in tempura and roasted duck liver with white asparagus. What follows is in fact five courses of Modern French gastronomy. This is all helpfully washed down by tremendous hand-selected accompanying house reds. Indeed, Le Saint Paul is always full of surprises. From letting us have a late breakfast in bed the following morning to magicking us a table at fully booked world-famous La Colombe d’Or, nothing is too much trouble. For us, the only problem? That there must be an end to our romantic Alpes-Maritime escape.

‘Welcome to Le Saint Paul! Would you care for some home-made peach iced tea and cakes?’ Could our arrival at out South of France hideaway be more delightful? We'd been greeted not just by a warmth in the air, but we were also met from our air-conditioned Mercedes taxi by an exceptionally smart bellman with an outstretched umbrella. This has all certainly taken a dampener off the fact it isn’t the sunny weather we’d been expecting. The doorman even greeted us by name as though distant relatives before navigating us through the cobbled gallery-sprinkled backstreets to our final destination, th

Accommodation details

Address:

Location:

General facilities

Valet parking

Spa

Complimentary in-room coffee or tea

Internet services

Room service

Lounges/bars

On-Site parking

Onsite laundry

Restaurant

Dining information

Restaurant:

There are two dining rooms; one with wooden vaulted ceilings, decked out with flower and fruit murals, lit by candlelight, and one with a romantic fountain. A walled garden, trailing curtains of bougainvillea, surrounds a little terrace, where you can dine in seclusion outdoors. The food is sophisticated and decadent, with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients and opulent flavour-combinations. Dishes range from the exotic (peach gazpacho with roasted king prawns) to the traditional (foie gras with apricots and rhubarb compote), to the inventive – lobster lasagne with wild salad. Leave room for some salty toffee ice-cream and banana sauce, or iced lavender macaroon with peach and strawberries.

Top table:

Sit close to the fountain, by the tall window – you can peer out and admire the walled garden as you eat. On warm days, make a beeline for the terrace and breathe in the scent of bougainvilleas.

Last orders:

You can linger over breakfast between 7.30am and 10am (although late risers can breakfast in their room until noon), and lunch is served between 12.30pm and 1.45pm. Dinner is dished up between 7.30pm and 9.45pm.

Room service:

In-room treats can be ordered from the room service menu during the restaurant’s opening hours.

Hotel bar:

The small bar area is situated in the lounge, with a scattering of bar stools, clusters of contented guests sipping martinis, and gold-framed paintings hanging from the cream walls. The open fire and plump sofas provide extra cosiness, and the glass cabinets are filled with a gallery’s stash of ceramic Barbotines animals – a quirky and colourful touch.